Was in New York recently, and whenever I’m there I try to catch an off-Broadway play, or a decent Broadway one, if that’s possible. Well, this time I was way off Broadway – on 59th between Park and Madison, in fact – at the 59E59 theaters. The play was Michael Hollinger‘s Opus (directed by Terrance Nolen) and it was brilliant.

The story is about the fictitious Lazara string quartet. Why is that interesting? Well, that question is answered in the first few minutes of the play when we are told that being in a quartet is like a marriage, only without the fidelity. The dynamics, the politics and the interdependencies between the members and their sometimes clashing, sometimes attracting personalities are riveting for the entire intermission-free, ninety minutes of the play.

There’s Alan (Richard Topol), who’s easygoing and extremely likeable. There’s Carl (Douglas Rees) who’s the only married one, and he’s understated and always trying to iron out the mostly petty and always passionate disagreements between the group’s members. There’s Elliott (David Beach) who’s clearly the leader, and extremely controlling, driven and caustic. And there’s Dorian (Michael Laurence), who’s the most stereotypically artistic, being a poet at heart and a visionary, but also the least stable.

We begin when Dorian mysteriously disappears. Now, the members of the quartet are somewhat like rock stars of the classical world in that they are extremely popular, have had a documentary made about them and have even won a Grammy. So with an upcoming performance at a White House function, the disappearance causes quite a stir, and they are forced to look for a replacement. And that’s where Grace (Mahira Kakkar) comes in to the picture. She wows them at her audition and is practically hired immediately. What happens over the next hour and a half is a meandering drama with enough comedy, romance and tension to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Hollinger, a violinist himself, creates a montage of scenes that occur mostly during rehearsals or backstage before and after a performance. They fluctuate between the past and the present, and with each scene it becomes clearer why Dorian disappeared and what the quartet should do next. The acting is subtle and enticing, with each character played to believable perfection. And the plot, well, there isn’t really a plot, per se, other than the sheer pleasure one derives from watching the members talk, argue, love, hate, philosophize and reminisce.

Picture Source

Mahira Kakkar

An aside on Grace, who was played by Kolkata-born Julliard graduate, Mahira Kakkar. Her performance was, to say the least, quite endearing. Her character is a young musician, fresh out of graduate school, trying hard to impress the members. She plays a wide-eyed but extremely talented neophyte, trying to understand the dynamics of the much older, much established quartet. At times, her presence was necessary to create an offset to Beach’s egotistical and chauvinistic Elliot. At other times, she was just refreshing. It was great to see an Indian-born desi in an off-Broadway play (although she’s not the first desi that I’ve seen on Broadway), and that too, speaking with an almost Indian accent. It’s about time us desis start to represent on the theater scene, and Kakkar is an excellent ambassador.

The purpose of the play is in the journey itself, and the ending, although damn good, is not a surprising twist or a melodramatic coup d’?tat. Probably the only surprise (and, in retrospect, it shouldn’t have been a surprise at all) was how much fun I had watching the members of the quartet interact with witty dialogue and melancholy observations about life. Not unlike the interactions that we all have had with our own friends and significant others. I could easily see this play making it to Hollywood, and if it does, I’ll be the first in line to buy a ticket to watch it again.

Watched the famous Broadway musical Company. Apart from being an excellent satire on marriage (and single life), I was surprised to see that it had a desi in the cast – Angel Desai. She plays ‘Marta’ a young, single girl enjoying her independence in New York. She does a good job, too.

Angel Desai

The play is about a single guy whose friends (five couples) throw him a surprise party every year. The play opens with his 35th birthday party. Through the play he meets each couple one by one and we get to know each of them in their roles as husband or wife, and each other’s idiosynracies. Some of them are so drastic, that it’s a wonder that the marriage survives at all. One marriage, in fact, survived only after the couple divorces (if that makes any sense). It really sets you off thinking about what marriage is, why people get married and why they don’t. It’s about emotional attachment, or the lack of it. And the price you pay for whichever choice you make.

Everyone acted well through the play, and what was particularly great was that each actor was assigned an instrument which they played throughout the play. So they double as a musical company as well. I’m sure that physically and mentally that is quite a challenge and they definitely lived up to it. Of course, every once in a while the songs got in the way of the interesting dialogue, but they were Stephen Sondheim songs, so that deadened the pain somewhat. While I’m not a big fan of songs in either movies or plays, it does help if they’re good. Speaking of musicals, I caught a musical on IFC some time back – it’s a French film from 1964 called Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. What’s great about it is that the entire dialogue is in song, including trivial lines like “I’m going to the shop” and things like that. It’s a musical that lampoons all musicals, if you ask me. But I digress. If you have the time, and you’re in the city, I’d definitely recommend Company. Especially if you’re a fan of musicals.

Also went off-Broadway and saw The Voysey Inheritance at the Atlantic Theatre Company (founded by David Mamet and William H. Macy) on 20th St. It wasn’t too bad. A somewhat traditional British play written (and set in) the early 20th century, it deals with issues of business ethics. While this may not sound as glamourous and interesting as marriage, it was interesting nonetheless. It’s the story of a son who inherits the family business and realizes that his father has been embezzling from the firm since Day 1. In fact, it was his grandfather who started the firm, and the embezzling shortly thereafter! When the son confronts the family with this fact, no one really wants to change anything since they are all accustomed to their lifestyles. The play deals with the decisions made by the son, and their eventual consequences.

It’s adapted by David Mamet from Harley Granville Barker’s original. The acting is excellent – with all Americans doing superb British accents. It’s extremely hard to tell that their nationalities. The play has its high points with some really funny lines delivered with what I can only call pure British straight-faced-ness. The premise is certainly interesting and quite relevant, what with Enron, et al. But overall it’s lacking a little something. The ending was a little abrupt and seemed, to me, anticlimactic. And I would definitely not call it a Mamet play, although it has a hint of his classic dialogues. But just a hint.

Picture Sources: Angel Desai – broadwayworld.com; Company poster – newyorkcitytheatre.com; The Voysey Inheritance poster – the Atlantic Theater Company website.